I’ve been asked lately about changes on Pandora Avenue.
A lot is changing.
Here’s a partial list, with more info on each point below. Some of these are changes that the City of Victoria is making, or partnering on, or funding. And some are being done by others.
- New homes and neighbours
- Unhoused people moving off Pandora into shelter, housing and addiction recovery
- A new Police Chief and a new approach to enforcement
New homes and neighbours
When people hear “Pandora Avenue”, they often think about street disorder and the problems the neighbourhood faces. But if you look around you will see within a block of Pandora between Quadra and Cook are at least five apartment buildings, a large grocery store, and many amenities. And there’s a lot of new housing opening or underway that will bring new people to the area.
Construction has begun on 926-930 Pandora: https://letstalkhousingbc.ca/victoria-930-pandora. This BC Housing and CRD project on City-donated land will be a 20 storey building that includes 158 affordable homes for people with low to moderate incomes. 70% of homes will have rent subsidized and set at 30% of gross monthly income. The remainder of units will be at or below market rate.
Another building, Neighbour, just opened at 999 Pandora: https://neighbour.townline.com/. It’s 15 storeys with a combination of co-living rentals (private rooms with common areas) and traditional one and two bedroom apartments. It has over 10,000sf of building amenities, including a gym, rec room, entertaining lounge, work pods, and more.
Thousands more homes are planned within a few blocks. Some are underway, with construction work happening on:
- Harris Green Village, which will add 1,500 suites;
- 1050 Yates, which will add 500 suites;
- Village on the Green, which will add 160 affordable suites managed by the Capital Region Housing Corporation (disclosure: I am on the Board of CRHC).
More homes and many more people in the area will mean significant changes for the look and feel of Pandora.
Unhoused people moving off Pandora into shelter, housing and addiction recovery
In addition to more people moving into the neighbourhood, people who are on Pandora’s sidewalks and boulevards will have more options to move indoors. Bringing people indoors means they can stabilize, and more easily access and be accessed by providers of services, such as detox and addiction treatment.
The Pathways Shelter on Bridge street will open soon, with intake of 34 people currently living outdoors on Pandora, Downtown, and just around the corner on Ellice St. BC Housing is running this 3-year project in a City-owned building, and it is the final commitment for Victoria under BC’s HEARTH homelessness funding program: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2026HMA0003-000044. This is in addition to the extra spaces for 30 people that opened at Rock Bay Landing in August.
Johnson Manor, with 20 addiction-recovery transitional housing units, will be opening soon. It will quickly free up 20 supportive housing units as people ready to transition move out. And that will quickly free up shelter space for 20 people ready to move indoors from Pandora and other streets and parks. This is a Province – City project for people who are at a minimum 60 days sober, post-detox and treatment, and without a fixed address or existing supportive housing: https://news.bchousing.org/new-homes-in-victoria-support-people-in-recovery/. (The provincial government has added over 700 addiction treatment beds in recent years.)
An additional 13 substance-free shelter spaces are coming this spring at the Salvation Army ARC.
In the longer term, 32 shelter rate beds at Village on the Green, noted above, will open in 2028 and be available to people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. And 926-930 Pandora, also noted above, will open in 2029 and provide 47 supportive housing spaces – enabling more unhoused people to move indoors, with supports onsite. Residents will be selected through BC Housing and matched with appropriate services.
Another 10 beds for people who have gone through detox are being fundraised for at the SOLID Dowler site, which recently opened with 25 beds.
Placements into the above spaces will be for people who are already in Victoria and are on existing lists. The Mayor notes that Victoria has done much more than other municipalities in the region: https://vancouversun.com/news/victoria-at-capacity-for-supporting-the-unhoused-mayor
A new Police Chief and a new approach
The ban on open drug use is now being enforced. Since May 2024, open drug use has been illegal across BC, but the ban hasn’t been enforced in Victoria until now. New Police Chief Fiona Wilson was hired by the Police Board in the summer of 2025, and immediately started enforcing the ban on open drug use. (Former Chief Del Manak declined to enforce the ban until his department had developed a policy interpreting the term ‘problematic use.’)
The Police and City Bylaw Services will be more present on the street. They have commenced foot patrols, and are getting to know people and situations on the street, as well as local business workers and managers.
In addition, a Police and Bylaw field hub will soon be opening in the Neighbour Building at 999 Pandora.
(Although city council funded the additional police foot patrols, ongoing decisions around criminal law enforcement and allocation of police officers is entirely up to the police; City Council has no authority to make decisions or provide oversight: https://davethompsonvictoria.ca/law-enforcement-decisions-up-to-police-in-victoria-not-council-victoria-news/)
More to come
(Update: results are being noted https://www.timescolonist.com/local-news/downtown-police-patrols-paying-dividends-for-victoria-businesses-social-agencies-12012658)
This is a lot, and more will be happening. Check the City’s Community Safety and Wellbeing Plan webpage for updates: https://www.victoria.ca/community-culture/safety-wellbeing/community-safety-and-wellbeing-plan